Matters of the Heart by Vanessa Devereaux

reached out for them as they waltzed by.
    Sadie burst
out laughing too. “You’re having so much fun, but thank goodness that you’re
too young to remember this or I’d get in lots of trouble. But I’m always in
lots of hot water.”
    Sadie blinked
again and the teddy bear and doll faced one another danced together. Presley’s
eyes grew wider and then she mumbled and began sucking her fist as the pair
began waltzing around the room.
    “Just think
if you were a witch, you’d already be in training,” said Sadie.
    She was about
to blink again and have other toys join in when a cold shiver went down her
spine. She raised her hand and flicked her finger causing the toys to march
back to the playpen.
    Sadie stood
and held Presley close to her. Her intuition told her there was some sort of
danger around. Not for her, but the baby. She walked to window, sensing it was
outside but she couldn’t see anything. She was about to head to the kitchen
when she had the premonition that someone was coming for Presley.
    “Oh,
you sweet baby. I won’t let them. Hold on, my dear.”
    She covered
Presley’s eyes. Sadie touched her necklace and was soon in the Witches’
Realm.   She walked along the hallway and
into the lounge where two witches sat reading.
    “Is that…is
that a mortal baby?” one asked.
    Sadie didn’t
respond. She knew she’d committed one of the biggest faux pas of the Witches’
House Rules
    The witch
stood. “Just what have you done?”
    “The child’s
in danger so we need to cast a spell ASAP,” said Sadie.
    ****
     
    Brad had to
admit he wasn’t a fan of plays. He’d never been to the playhouse before but
tonight he was enjoying the show. Maybe it was the company that made all the
difference.
    He glanced at
Lucy. She seemed to be glowing. He put his hand on her knee and squeezed it.
She looked at him and smiled.
    A smile that
made him go weak at the knees. Lucy slid her hand into
his. He curled his fingers around it, allowing their palms to kiss. He really
wanted to put his arm around her and pull her close while they watched the rest
of the play but didn’t think that would be appropriate in the playhouse. For
now, hand holding would have to suffice.
    It was a
story about lost loves and finding them again. Usually he’d think this sort of
thing just for the ladies, but the words the characters recited pulled on his
heart and he found himself even tearing up.
    Shit, he
hoped no one saw him when the lights came back on. He’d already run into three
people he knew who were also attending the play.
    He wanted the
main character to get the girl. He wanted
to get the girl, Lucy. Without giving it any thought, he lifted her hand up
to his mouth and kissed it. He smelled her perfume, felt her soft skin against
his lips, and his heart beat picked up.
    Lucy glanced
at him and that’s all it took. He wanted to kiss her but knew he’d have to wait
until after the play was over and they were safely back in the SUV.
    How he wished
the actors would race through their lines to get to the end. He wanted to make
love to her again. A naughty thought came over him. He’d drive them to the
number one make out spot in town.
Pine
Ridge Lane
that over looked the town. When he’d
first joined the police department he’d often caught teenagers messing around
in cars up there.
    Everyone
started clapping and he hadn’t realized that the play was over. He’d been too
busy dreaming about what would happen once he got this beautiful lady alone.
    He let go of
Lucy’s hand so they too could clap. The lights grew brighter and they gathered
up their coats before heading out of the theatre. Brad grabbed her hand again
and they walked out to the SUV like two people who had been lovers forever.
    “I have to
say that wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” said Brad, opening the door
for her. He closed it and rushed around to the driver’s side and got in.
    “It was sort
of magical, don’t you think?” said Lucy.